TN NASHVILLE JANE DOE: WF, 45-55, found in the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN - 17 March 1998 - Leo Zodiac pendant *DIANE MINOR*

194UFTN - Unidentified Female

Reconstructions of the victim by Judy Reimer and Wesley Neville; clothing and jewlery.

Date of Discovery: March 17, 1998
Location of Discovery: Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee
Estimated Date of Death: Hours prior
State of Remains: Recognizable face
Cause of Death: Homicide by gunshot

Physical Description
Estimated Age: 30-55 years old
Race: White and/or Hispanic
Sex: Female
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 167 lbs.
Hair: Dyed light brown to blond, wavy, and 5 inches in length.
Eye Color: Green or hazel
Distinguishing Marks/Features: Unknown.

Identifiers
Dentals: Available. $10,000 worth of dental care.
Fingerprints: Unknown.
DNA: Unknown.

Clothing & Personal Items
Clothing: Black nylon pants (torn) with "Sport" "Tweety In Training" patch, white panties.
Jewelry: Gold necklace with Gold Zodiac "LEO" emblem, 2 rings: 1 dark gray, 1 lighter gold.
Additional Personal Items: (1) white reebok tennis shoe with red trim.

Circumstances of Discovery
On Wednesday morning of March 18, 1998, a tug boat captain reported to the police a body floating west in the Cumberland River near Cleese’s Ferry and Hunter’s Marina.

Upon arrival, the rescue squad pulled the body of a partially clothed woman from the water at Harbor Marina and Cleese’s Ferry. She had been shot in the head twice.

A woman fitting the description was seen on the evening of March 17 on Music Valley Drive with a man wearing a white Tweetie Bird tee shirt with black pants and a gold zodiac necklace.

Investigating Agency(s)
Agency Name: Metropolitan Nashville Police Department
Agency Contact Person: Det. Stephen Jolley
Agency Phone Number: 615-880-2919
Agency Email: missing_persons(at)police.nashville.org
Agency Case Number: 1998-131720

Agency Name: Davidson County Forensic Medical Unit
Agency Contact Person: Lauren Fisher, Jennifer Ledford, or Candice Sexton
Agency Phone Number: 615-743-1800
Agency Email: N/A.org
Agency Case Number: 980662

NCIC Case Number: U10748105
NamUs Case Number: 10155
Information Source(s)

Doe Network: International Center For Missing and Unidentified Persons

Doe Network is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to bringing awareness to missing persons and unidentified persons throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

www.doenetwork.org

NamUs​

Metro Nashville Police Department (archived)​

Hellbeasts - A Blog About Crime and Injustice (archived)​

NASHVILLE JANE DOE: Found in the Cumberland River in Nashville, TN on 17 March 1998. She was wearing a Leo Zodiac pendant & Tweety bird shirt.

Estimated Age: 30-55 years old Race: White and/or Hispanic Sex: Female Height: 5'2" Weight: 167 lbs. Hair: Dyed light brown to blond, wavy, and 5 inches in length. Eye Color: Green or hazel

www.crimewatchers.net

*CLICK THE REPORT BUTTON IF YOU'D LIKE THIS CASE MOVED TO THE GENERAL DISCUSSION AREA TO BE OPENED FOR COMMENTING.

 

[Summer_Breeze]

Who is the Cumberland River Jane Doe? Technology heats up a 25-year-old investigation

Twenty five years after a woman's body was found in the Cumberland River, Metro Police are still working to identify her, and hope DNA help

www.newschannel5.com

By: Emily Luxen
Posted at 9:28 PM, Apr 17, 2023
and last updated 3:01 AM, Apr 18, 2023
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Her body was found floating in the Cumberland River, and 25 years later, police still don't know who she is, or who killed her.

However, DNA technology may be the key to finally identifying the so-called Cumberland River Jane Doe.

In March of 1998, a barge operator made a grisly discovery. The body of a woman was floating in the Cumberland River near Cleece's Ferry and Hunter's Marina. When firefighters pulled the body from the water it was determined she had two gunshot wounds to her head. She was wearing one white Reebok tennis shoe, black pants with a Tweety Bird logo, a dark grey ring and a gold ring, and a gold necklace featuring the zodiac symbol for Leo.

All efforts to identify her came up empty, and police referred to her as the Cumberland River Jane Doe or Leo Jane Doe.

<snip>
However, a break in the case came in 2020. Metro Police sent biological samples from the victim to a lab that specializes in genetic genealogy. A profile was developed and uploaded to genealogy websites. While the profile didn't determine the victim's name, it did determine she was from Chilton County, Alabama, and is closely related to the surnames Easterling, Mims or Minor.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

DNA Doe Project officially has her case now.

Leo Jane Doe 1998 - DNA Doe Project Cases

Description: On March 18, 1998, a tugboat captain reported a body floating in the Cumberland River near Cleese’s Ferry and Hunter’s Marina. Upon arrival, the rescue squad pulled the body of a partially clothed woman from the water. She had been shot in the head twice. A woman fitting her...

dnadoeproject.org

 

[Romulus]

Identified as Diane Minor; was 54 years old when she died. Metro Nashville Police Department reports her body was recovered from the Cumberland River near Cleeses Ferry on March 18, 1998.

Now, her identity has been discovered 26 years later.

Minor suffered two gunshot wounds to the head. Police say she was known as the Leo Jane Doe due to a necklace she was wearing with a Leo Zodiac symbol.

She was last known to have been a manager at the Second Story Café in Nashville in the early 1990s. A missing person report was never filed for Minor.

Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy with help from the MNPD Crime Lab, Bode Lab and the DNA Doe Project resulted in Minor's identification.

The investigation by MNPD Cold Case Homicide detectives is ongoing. Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 615-742-7463.

Cold Case: Nashville woman found dead in Cumberland River identified decades later

Decades after a woman's body was found in the Cumberland River, her identity is finally known.

fox17.com

Leo Jane Doe 1998 - DNA Doe Project

Description: On March 18, 1998, a tugboat captain reported a body floating in the Cumberland River near Cleese’s Ferry and Hunter’s Marina. Upon arrival, the rescue squad pulled the body of a partially clothed woman from the water. She had been shot in the head twice. A woman fitting her...

dnadoeproject.org